August 10, 2023 — Psalm 106

“Praise the LORD! O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever. Who can utter the mighty doings of the LORD, or declare all his praise? Happy are those who observe justice, who do righteousness at all times. Remember me, O LORD, when you show favor to your people; help me when you deliver them; that I may see the prosperity of your chosen ones, that I may rejoice in the gladness of your nation, that I may glory in your heritage. Both we and our ancestors have sinned; we have committed iniquity, have done wickedly. Our ancestors, when they were in Egypt, did not consider your wonderful works; they did not remember the abundance of your steadfast love, but rebelled against the Most High at the Red Sea. Yet he saved them for his name’s sake, so that he might make known his mighty power. He rebuked the Red Sea, and it became dry; he led them through the deep as through a desert. So he saved them from the hand of the foe, and delivered them from the hand of the enemy. The waters covered their adversaries; not one of them was left. Then they believed his words; they sang his praise.” (Verses 1-12)

In Psalm 106 the psalmist writes for a congregation whose purpose is to praise the LORD — but the beginning of praise is the recognition of the sin we have in our past and its consequences. Many of the Psalms list the ways the people have disappointed G-d in their past – and this becomes their confession of sin. The Psalmist then reminds the people that G-d’s wrath is followed by G-d’s salvation when the people cry out to him — and thus the concluding prayer for salvation.

Look, we long for peace, for calm, for stability. And we long for them in such a way that they will last — if not forever, at least for the next week. But no matter how upsetting life becomes, we must remember the Lord is good and his love is everlasting.

Deep within us is that place where the essence of our essence resides — and in that same place, by grace and the power of the Holy Spirit, Christ also dwells. We become, by his grace what He is by his nature — the essence of what it means to be a “child of G-d” — loved as the Father loves the Son, and the Son loves the Father. He is always with us, Emmanuel, and we with Him unless, once more, we, like the Israelites, seek to find our own salvation.  

Prayer

Merciful God, remembering your covenant, you graciously pardoned those who rebelled against you. Grant that, where sin abounds, grace may abound more; through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.

Amen.

Pastor Dave